


The Choices They Face

by Michysminions (MichysMinions)



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-11
Updated: 2014-03-15
Packaged: 2018-01-15 09:15:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1299619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MichysMinions/pseuds/Michysminions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set during TRACKS, what would have happened if Fitz would have accompanied Skye when she went after Quinn? The team is faced with an impossible choice. One shot. Rated T for violence.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a Tumblr prompt I received. What would have happened if Fitz would have gone in with Skye.
> 
> This is currently planned as a one-shot.
> 
> (Disclaimer: I'm not cool enough to actually own Marvel's Agents of SHIELD or any of it's awesome characters)

 

"You want to go in."

"We can't let Quinn get away again. If Coulson were here he wouldn't let that happen. He wouldn't want us to let that happen." Skye's voice was determined as she spoke, her eyes following Quinn as he walked in the large Itallian Villa.

"You're right; let's do it." Skye looked over at Fitz, almost like she was surprised that he agreed with her. Slowly a smile began to form on her face, but it quickly faded as he continued, "I'm going with you."

"No," she said immediately, but it was no good, he was just as stubborn as she was. He already had felt the fear of losing Jemma, seeing her body lying frozen on the ground, he wasn't going to let Skye go into that house alone.

"I'm coming with you," he said, his voice firm and unwavering. "You don't have to do everything alone."

This time Skye really did smile, a full, appreciative smile, thankful that she finally had a family that cared for her. But Fitz didn't see the smile, his hands were already moving to his bag as he extracted the night-night gun, ready to storm the castle. The fact that this was a bad idea, that they should wait for the rest of the team to follow the tracker and find them didn't seem to register in either of their minds. They were more interested in bringing Quinn to justice.

"Let's go," Skye said simply, moving out from behind their cover of trees. Silently they slipped into the house, the only noise being the sound of the dendrotoxin bullets leaving the night-night gun as they took out the men in their path. It was only later, as he heard the sound of the gun firing and and saw the blood begin to stain Skye's shirt that Fitz realized they should have never gone in alone.

"You bast..." Fitz exclaimed as he lunged at Quinn, but he was cut off as another shot rang through the air. This time the shot was directed at him, piercing Fitz right through the abdomen.

Quinn ignored Fitz as he slowly crumpled to the floor, his sights still set on Skye. Gently, intimately, he wrapped her in his arms, feeling her body shaking with pain. With one final shot, Quinn carefully brought Skye to the ground and walked out of the room, leaving them alone and helpless.

"Help," her voice was quiet, strangled, as Skye began choking on her own blood. She looked over to the door, it was mere feet away, she just had to get there. She pulled herself towards the door, desperately reaching out for it. But it was no use. With one last gasp, her body slumped against the wall.

Minutes later, Coulson came through the door, his eyes immediately locked on Skye's broken and bloody body. It was only after he called for Simmons, cradling Skye in his arms, that he noticed Fitz in the corner, lying in a pool of blood. Coulson's face was white as he looked between his two team members. A stabbing pain of guilt flooded him. He was their leader, the one that was supposed to keep them safe. He always pushed them so hard, demanded so much out of them, and every time they had delivered. And now he had put them in harms way. He had let them down.

Simmons ran in, but unlike Coulson her eyes were fixated on Fitz, the color slowly draining from her face. She ran to her best friend's side, tears already beginning to make their way down her cheeks. She desperately felt for a pulse, feeling only a slight flutter in return.

"How is he?" Coulson's voice cut the air, shaking slightly.

"He has a weak pulse," Fitz's blood had already stained her hands as she moved to Skye. "Skye?"

"Nothing, I can't find a pulse." Jemma looked around the room, seeing every eye on her. She wanted to scream, to cry, but they were all counting on her. Skye and Fitz were counting on her.

"There." Everyone turned to see what Jemma was looking at.

"Was is that?" Ward's voice was hard, almost angry - angry for not being there to protect them, angry that they thought that they could go in alone, angry that Coulson had put them in the field in the first place.

"It's a hyperbaric chamber." Jemma's voice was frantic as she spoke. "They've lost too much blood, we need to lower their core body tempatures until we can do more."

"There is only one." May, the constant voice of reason - with the words that cut to the bone.

Slowly everyone looked between Skye and Fitz.

They had to choose.


	2. An Impossible Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I originally intended this to be a one-shot, but I couldn't let it go.
> 
> So now the team makes an impossible choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always appreciated!
> 
> ((Disclaimer: I still don't own anything from MAOS))

For Jemma Simmons the choice was clear.  Fitz.  It was always Fitz and it always would be.  

But the same couldn't be said for the rest of the team.  Everyone was looking around, their eyes shifting between Skye and Fitz.  How could they choose, how did they make a choice between their teammates?

No one wanted to speak; no one wanted to be responsible for making the choice.  

Every eye turned to look at Jemma for her medical opinion.  She wanted to scream at them.  She wasn't a medical doctor - she never had been - yet she was constantly being put in positions where someone else's life was directly in her hands.  

_And now it was Fitz._

"Fitz."  She said, trying to keep her voice from shaking.  

All three looked back at her as she made the choice that they wouldn't make, but the looks on their faces showed that they disagreed.  

"Fitz?" Coulson asked back, not wanting to admit out loud that he would pick Skye over Fitz if given the choice.  There was something different about Skye, something special.  He wasn't ready to give up on her.

"He has a stronger pulse and a better chance of making a recovery if we can get them out of here."

"And we just let Skye die?"  The accusation that came out of Ward’s mouth was thinly veiled as he stared at Jemma.  Everyone could feel the anger that was radiating off of him, his jaw locked firmly.  

"I.... I...." Jemma stammered in reply, her eyes darting to the floor. She ran to Skye's side, feeling for a pulse and checking her injuries.  Her injuries were substantial and she had lost too much blood.  If they lowered her body temperature quickly they could buy her more time for them to get her to a medical facility, but there was no guarantee, nothing else that Jemma would be able to do to insure her survival.  

And Fitz would be on his own.

"Put her in."  Jemma said, her voice weak as she gave in.  "She is almost out of time.  That might buy her some more."

"Fitz?"

"He has a pulse," She turned to look at May, Jemma’s face so pale she might as well be on the floor herself.  "I'll do what I can."

The team worked together to pick Skye up, placing her gingerly in the hyperbaric chamber.  The others moved out of the way as Jemma ran to the controls, the mixture of Skye and Fitz's blood on her hands now covering the panel.  She worked quickly, pulling the temperature down and getting the pressure to stabilize.  

Coulson stood by the chamber, his hand pressing on the glass, his eyes locked on Skye’s pale face.  May stood next to him, more emotion on her face than Coulson had seen in awhile.  Only Ward stood back for the group, his anger at the situation still marring his face.  He was their protector and he had failed.

It didn’t take long for the chamber to regulate.  A sigh of relief passed through the group as a small breath escaped Skye’s mouth, but Jemma didn’t have the luxury of relaxing.  She darted from the chamber back to Fitz’s side. He still had a pulse, but his face was deathly white and his hands were clammy.  Jemma knew they needed to act fast. 

“We need to get them to the Bus immediately.”  The other’s turned to look at Jemma, surprised at how strong and forceful her voice suddenly was.  “We need to get them both to a SHIELD Medical Facility immediately.”

If there was one thing that Coulson’s team could be counted on it was for stepping up and getting to work.  Within minutes they were able to find a way to stabilize Fitz for transport, as well as take Skye in the chamber back to the Bus. 

The moment they were in the Bus, Jemma wasted no time. She cut away the bloody strips of Fitz’s shirt, exposing the wound.  She didn’t have the expertise, nor did the Bus have the facility, to be able to operate.  His only chance was to get to a Trauma Surgeon and to get there fast.  Jemma found some hemostatic gauze and packed the wound, trying to stop any more bleeding.  She wrapped the wound in plastic wrap before covering him in a think blanket to keep him from going into shock. 

Her hands worked fast, shaking occasionally, her now gloved fingers still tainted with a mix of her teammate’s blood.  She could feel the familiar rumble of the engines under her feet, letting her know that the Bus was in the air and on its way.  She just had to hope that it would be enough.

May was in the cockpit, the Bus back in the air, flying to the nearest facility she could get to.   It was only in the cockpit, where she was alone, that she could allow herself to feel the emotions that were deep within her.  It was only there that she did not have to keep up the act.

Coulson stood by the chamber’s side, his eyes flitting between Skye, pale and close to death, and Jemma, doing everything she could to save her partner. Coulson’s eyes were filled with anguish. It was not supposed to be a combat op. They were not supposed to be in danger. Had he really pushed them to the point that they would go into a building, alone and untrained, and try to do his job?

Ward paced out side of the holding cell where Quinn was. He wanted to go in; he wanted to turn Quinn into a human punching bag.  He wanted Quinn to feel the same pain the Skye had.  That Fitz had.  That Ward himself was feeling now.  The muscles in his arm flexed as he gripped the bar in front of him before turning around and kicking the door.

It was only when the Bus began its decent down to the SHIELD Medical Facility that they received the first bit of good news – they were finally able to get their teammates some help.  The medics worked fast, coming aboard and taking Skye and Fitz into the facility. The team stood back, letting the doctors take over, knowing that Skye and Fitz were in the some of the best hands in the world. 

It was only then, with Skye and Fitz receiving actual medical assistance from _real_ Medical Doctors, that Jemma was able to let herself break down.  She retreated through the door to the bathroom, wanting more than anything to remove her friend’s blood from her hands.  She didn’t have Fitz by her side to comfort her like he always did. She had to go on alone.

The water running red into the sink, Jemma closed her eyes and began to cry, letting out hours of pent up emotions.  It was only when something brushed her hand that she even realized that someone had followed her into the bathroom.

May was completely silent as she took a towel and began wiping the blood off of Jemma’s hands.  She had been where Jemma was standing – more times than she wanted to remember. She had the blood of friends and enemies alike on her hands.  She knew that washing it off only visibly removed it; she would carry it around forever. Jemma was too young, too innocent, to have to live with the blood of her friends on her hands.

The team gathered together, six down to four, all sitting quietly in the waiting room. No one looked at each other – no one wanted to see the pain in one another’s eyes – but they all were thankful for the presence of their teammates and friends as they waited for news.

News on how they could put their family back together.


End file.
